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Math is the study of futility. Futility to calculate, to understand, to define, to rationalize. 1 is the only number. Everything else is a name.

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> 1 is the only number. Everything else is a name.

http://scihi.org/leopold-kronecker/

I’d paraphrase. I’d say that zero and one are the only objects. Everything else is a name.

So in a sense math is exploration of the relation between existence and nonexistence.

You can't show me zero of something which is why you can't divide by it. Zero is a placeholder for what we can't show which is also why negative number exist on the opposite side of it. Zero isn't a number, it too is a name.

I did mention objects, not numbers. Maybe “symbols” representing concepts. I’d go with “name” for both zero and one — nonexistence and existence.

> You can't show me zero of something which is why you can't divide by it.

I've shown you zero fish. The number of fish I've shown you is zero. If I tracked you down, brought a fish with me and showed it to you, I'd have shown you 1 fish, but I haven't.

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